Taiwanese Guilty in DEA Agents’ Murder
A Taiwanese national was convicted Wednesday of fatally shooting two federal drug agents and wounding a third during an undercover heroin deal that turned into an attempted robbery.
The Pasadena Superior Court jury deliberated for four days before finding Wei Wen Wang guilty of murder, attempted murder and robbery in the deaths of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents Paul Seema and George Montoya.
Wang could face the death penalty because the jury found the special circumstances of murder during a robbery and multiple murder. The penalty phase of his trial begins July 24.
Seema, 52, and Montoya, 34, were gunned down when they were double-crossed by Wang and his alleged associates during a February, 1988, drug deal staged as part of an undercover operation, authorities said.
DEA agent Jose Martinez, 24, was wounded in the shooting, and two of Wang’s associates were killed in a subsequent shoot-out with agents and police.
A third man, Su Re (Michael) Chia, 21, has been convicted of murder and attempted murder and sentenced to 61 years in prison.
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